The Black Lesbian and Gay Centre (BLGC) was a community centre in London that ran from 1985 to 2000.[1] The centre was founded by members of the Gay Black Group in response to "the overwhelming whiteness of the 'mainstream' LGBTQ+ scene, racism from within and outside of the scene, and the difficulties of coming out to families, who generally perceived homosexuality as a 'white' issue."[1] It was first set up in Haringey with funding from the Greater London Council, and later moved to Peckham. A rainbow plaque in Peckham commemorates the BLGC.[2][3]
The Gay Black Group were a collective of Black lesbians and gay men, who organised under the banner of political Blackness.[4] In 1982 they approached the Greater London Council to set up the drop-in centre, with plans to provide advice, information, and a helpline. The GLC awarded funding to the project three years later in 1985.[5] At the time it was founded, it did not have a permanent premises.[2] This changed in 1992 when the centre moved to Peckham and took up residence in a former railway arch.[2]
The centre closed its permanent space in 1995.[3] However, the last published bulletin is dated winter 2000 and stated their address as Westminster Bridge Road.[6][7]
Activities
A collection of historical magazines on display in October 2024 in the Feminist Library hall, at the Sojourner Truth centre in Peckham, South London. Issues of the 'Black Lesbian & Gay Centre Project' newsletter are visible.
The group worked to provide a range of services and supported a number of actions, including: advice, counselling, and a telephone helpline;[5] a library of relevant and specific material and a social space, even when they did not have a permanent venue.[1]
The magazine Blackout was published from 1986 for Black lesbians and gay men to share events and resources.[1] A newsletter for the "Black Lesbian & Gay Centre Project" was also printed.[8][9]
The centre supported a boycott against the Black magazine The Voice about their treatment of out gay footballer Justin Fashanu.[5]
Legacy
In 2014 filmmaker Veronica McKenzie made a documentary about the Black Lesbian and Gay Centre titled Under Your Nose.[10] The film was low budget and, reportedly, a labour of love, with McKenzie describing using her 'small savings' and having voluntary crew working for expenses.[11] The film covered the history of the centre and surrounding political history, interviewing original members such as Dorothea Smartt, Dennis Carney, and Femi Otitoju.[12]
McKenzie went on to found the Haringey Vanguard Archive in 2018. Held at the Bruce Castle museum in Tottenham, it prominently features the documents of the BLGC.[13] The archive features oral history accounts from BLGC members Dennis Carney, Amber Djemal, and Savi Hensman.[14]
On 18 February 2024, a rainbow plaque commemorating the centre was unveiled opposite 83 Bellenden Road in Peckham. The unveiling was held with a special screening of Under Your Nose at Peckhamplex Cinema with a Q&A with former members. The project was supported by Studio Voltaire, and the London LGBT Forums network.[15]
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